This is one of the best trekking peaks in the Indian Himalayas and its proximity to Leh makes it very accessible. Ladakh, often referred to as ‘little Tibet’, is characterised by Buddhist culture and tradition. Visits to monasteries, palaces, markets and remote villages are all included in this expedition.
Note: We encourage responsible tourism. Practice these guidelines while on a trip!
Accomdations
Service Level
Transportation
Food
Age
18 to 50 yearsDifficulty
HardFitness Guide
Technical trek
- Multi-week trek in challenging terrain across glaciers with a high pass in very remote region / trekking peak
with a summit day. - An average day involves 6 hours of walking
Who is this tour for?
Tour Experience
High passes, fantastic landscapes, towering peaks, glacial mountains , himalayan hamlets, camping among the stars- a travel tale like no other.
- Summit a 6250 mtrs - 20,500 ft himalayan peak
- Learn expedition skills
- Trek Markha valley and Kang Yatse
- Camp at 15,420 ft on the Nimaling plateau
- Interface with local wild-life like the blue himalayan sheep, yaks
- Interact with local families in himalayan hamlets along the way
- All trekking and climbing arrangements with India’s most experienced guiding team, camp staff, cook .
- On summit day view- K2 (second highest mountain the world), Broad Peak | (12th highest mountain the world bordering China / Pakistan) | Gasherbrum Massif (13th Highest mountain the world bordering Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, and Xinjiang, China) in the North | Nun Kun | The Zanskar peaks in the West and the distant Karakoram ranges
12N/ 13D
Departure: Any dayYou will be doing:
You will be experiencing:
Gallery
Itinerary
Travel notes of the day
Leh is at an elevation of 11,500 ft. It is a important transit point for all #himalayan journeys, whether you are travelling from Srinagar towards the higher himalayas or from Himachal to the myriad destinations one can reach.
Welcome to a epic journey to the Greater Himalayas !
This is the first day of our 13 day expedition. You will mostly spend the remainder of this day resting.
- Leh Airprort
- Leh town
Travel notes of the day
Leh was an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and also between India and China for centuries. The main goods carried were salt, grain, pashm or cashmere wool, charas or cannabis resin from the Tarim Basin, indigo, silk yarn and Banaras brocade.
Today these markets have adapted to the travellers needs. From a trekking stick to Canoes to Climbing shoes - one can rent/buy almost all kind of equipment for their journey ahead.
Today primarily is about , getting organised, meet and greet other participants and get a feel of the local sights. Optional visit to the Leh palace , the Shey, Thikse and Hemis gompas. Last minute shopping in the Leh market.
Travel notes of the day
Chilling is located in the Hemis National park protected zone. It is one of the biggest village in the area inhabited by approx. 30 families. If you have been to - The Markha valley trek or The Chadar , you will recognise this route.
Skiu is at elevation of 11,500 feet approx. in the markha valley region which is a part of the Hemis national park. The entire village has about 7-9 families.
Our ultimate destination for the day is Skiu but not before we reach chilling.
Our trek starts from Chilling which is about 60 KM from Leh. An exciting drive along the Indus and Zanskar river takes us to Chilling. From Chilling we trek upto, Skiu, which approx. 4 hour hike.The trail goes through a flat and desolate plain along the river Indus and swings into the mountains along the pretty, willow-lined Zingchen gorge. On reaching Skiu we rest for the day.
- Leh
- Chilling
- Chilling -10,978 ft
- Skiu - 11,500 ft
Travel notes of the day
Markha Valley trek is located between the Zanskar and Ladakh, in the greater Himalaya region. This valley runs parallel to the Himalayan range. Markha Valley trek has beautiful, wild and barren landscapes. These landscapes are linked with the Ladakh also known as “Little Tibet”. These landscapes are very dramatic and enticing.
Markha Valley is also trek in itself , this the route is taken by many trekkers. You might bump in to a group or two whilst enroute. Our first group to Markha Valley was back in 2017-anyways moving on, we reach the village of markha.
On your way, you will see a lot of greenery, especially sea buckthorn (a spiny deciduous shrub) that is of medicinal value. Once you cross the river, you will arrive at the Chaluk and Tunespa Village. The landscape that will greet your eyes is breathtaking and you will have a great time admiring it till you reach Markha finally. The Markha Valley has been named after this village.
- Skiu-11,500ft
- Chalup
- Tunseka
- Markha- 12,467 ft
Travel notes of the day
We will be crossing many river fronts before Umlung village so be prepared to get your feet wet! Once we cross Umlung , its a easy walk to reach Hankar village. It is here you get the first sight of Kang Yatse
We climb from Markha to reach Thachungtse via the Hankar and Umlung villages. This is the first time we can view Kang Yatse . Yohoooo!
- Markha-12,467 ft
- Umlung
- Hankar
- Thachungtse-13,650 ft
Travel notes of the day
Many locals set up camp here from nearby villages during the summer months to let their livestock graze on the food rich plateau.
The expedition to Kang Yatse summit also starts from here. The weather is unpredictable here , it may remain sunny or rain or snow at a moments notice.
It is here we break the 15,000 ft barrier,
With open expansive plateau which is also the grazing ground for local wildlife like Yaks Nimaling is a personal favourite camping spot. Set up camp at one of the highest plateau in the world and fall in love the landscape. You can view Kang yatse in the background.
- Thachungtse-13,650 ft
- Nimaling - 15,485 ft
Travel notes of the day
Kongmaru la is one of the passes in the region, has breathtaking view on Kang Ya Tse and along gorge to Char (Indus valley). Only place to use mobile phone (Cell One) on Markha trek.
We have crossed the 15,000 ft barrier. Few have gone beyond this. This point will mark your transition from a trekker to a expeditionist.
We part-take in a acclimatization walk to Kongmaru La which is a gain in elevation of about 540 mtrs before returning to our camp at Nimaling by lunch.
This trail is a mix of steep inclines and mid declines.
- Nimaling-15,485 ft
- Kongmaru La- 17,273 ft
- Nimaling-15,485 ft
Travel notes of the day
The first half of this climb has loose earth with a lot of rocks , watch your step. We establish our base camp right next to the stream
We are at at 16,700 ft at the base of a glacier and a birds eye view of the natural landscape around. Civilization is far far away. Kick up your feet, enjoy the atmosphere - you're not here for long, get some real good pictures and check your gear.
Today is we reach base camp - Kang Yatze day. A trek of 3-4 hours of trek from Nimaling will get us to the camp.
Take the day off
- Nimaling-15,485 ft
- Kang Yatze- Base Camp- 16,732 Ft
Travel notes of the day
We practice walking with Snow boots - get some technical skills and use them the next day, snow and ice craft skills.
We walk 3 hours to establish Advance Base Take. We walk up to the snow to practice walking with crampons. Summit preparations and we eat dinner early and get to bed by 7 pm to be ready for the summit push.
- Base Camp
- Advance Base Camp
Travel notes of the day
This is our first attempt to summit, meaning the summit can or cannot be achieved owing to weather conditions.
This is Summit Day. Check yourself , check gear- this is going to be long day.
We start our first attempt to summit at midnight so we can catch the sunrise on the summit.
We may have to use ropes at a few spots to summit. Once we are on top , be mesmerized by the Zanskar and the distant Karakoram ranges. We will descend back to base camp for lunch.
Travel notes of the day
Our last night of camping under the stars ! By now you must have made good friends and may be planning for your next adventure together while guessing constellations!
We bid our goodbyes to the base camp and descend to Nimaling.
Once at Nimaling we start our ascend to Kongmaru La pass at 5260 mtrs. We start our descend from Kongmaru La crossing a stream to reach Chuskrimo marked with chortens, small shops and a tea tent. We camp at Chuskirmo, a little after the valley flattens out.
Our journey to the village of Chuskrimo is like time lapse with so many terrain changes. Realise we are descending to 14,000 ft from almost 17,000ft climbing to 17,5000 ft and descending to 12,000 ft approx
- Base Camp-16,700 ft
- Nimaling-15,485 ft
- Kongmaru La- 17,273 ft
- Chuskrimo-12,303 ft
Travel notes of the day
A drive to where we started,Leh, with option of stopping by hemis monastery to pay respects and seek blessings
Walk 2 hours to get to our waiting vehicles at Shang Sumdo.
Our cars take us to Hemis (optional) or continue directly to Leh. Wash up & spend the evening shopping in Leh.
- Shang Sumso
- Leh
Travel notes of the day
Bid adieu to the Himalayas while watching them pass by through your air plabe window as you leave the roof of the world behind.
We depart for Leh airport as per our scheduled flights.
Leh airport is one of the highest altitude airport in the world hence landing and take off is a adventure in itself..
- Leh town
- Leh Airport
Not quite what you are looking for?
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Other Details
- All transfers as per the itinerary (Leh airport to Leh airport)
- Full board camping arrangements on the mountain with a large mess tent, tables & stools
- Accommodation on twin share basis with foam sleeping mats in tents / ‘A’ class hotels (all meals included) Individual climbing equipment
- All meals as mentioned in itinerary & safe drinking water
- All trip arrangements with India’s most experienced guiding team, camp staff and cooks
- Porterage upto 15kg/person
- Peak fee/sanctuary fee/royalty/permits where applicable
- A guide for all monastery sightseeing Shey, Thikse, Hemis gompa
- Sleeping bag
- Flights not included in the above-mentioned cost
- Any transfers or meals outside of itinerary
- Bottled water
- Items of personal clothing
- Expenses of any personal nature (laundry / phone calls / alcohol / cigarettes / insurance / camera fee / etc.)
- Any expense incurred due to force of nature such as landslides, bad weather or reasons beyond our control
- Tips & gratuities (we recommend 5-10% of your trip cost- to be distributed among the team) – personal choice
- Travel & cancellation insurance
What to expect
- Average day could involve more than 6 hrs of walking.
- We will be covering difficult and glaciated terrain where use of ropes and technical mountaineering equipment like crampons, harness, carabiners, descenders etc could come into play.
- On these trips one is required to stay at high altitudes for lengthy periods of time and hence acclimatization is always a must
- Due to the unpredictable nature of the terrain and the snow/ ice conditions in the high mountains hence always have a contingency day of two built into the plan.
- These trips would last more than two weeks and go to wild, remote places completely cut off from civilization.
Heres' how your packing should be look like
- 2 synthetic undershirts
- 2 long-sleeve shirts
- 3 t-shirts
- 2 pairs of pants (suitable for current weather)
- 1 pair of thermal wear (optional)
- 4 pairs of socks
- 1 pair hiking boots with ankle grip.
- 1 pair sandals (for wearing when not hiking)
- 1 waterproof windbreaker
- 1 heavy jacket.
- 1 raingear - ponchos can drape over your pack.
- hat with hood to protect from Sun
- Warm Cap for night to protect against wind and cold
- fleece jacket
- Sunscreen
- Paper soaps/ Hand Sanitiser/ Insect repellent
- Rucksack 50/ 60 litres
- Day pack
- Water Bottle
- Torch/ Batteries
- Sunglasses
- Personal toiletries
- Personal medicine.
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